2025 Event Recap
378 attendees. 129 volunteers. 4,500+ giveaways...
One unforgettable night!
Foster, kinship, adoptive parents, social workers, guardians ad Litem, judges, mentors and other child welfare professionals joined us on December 2nd for an evening of encouragement, recognition, and joy. These frontline heroes carry impossible stories of brokenness and heartache as they navigate and serve within the child welfare system.
This is an evening to remind them of their “why” and help them continue in the essential work they do for children and families in our city.
We are so grateful to generous church and community partners who made it possible to celebrate everyone in the room.
We See You 2025 Speakers
Darien Karenbauer
Darien is a former foster youth & transracial adoptee who spent 6 years in the foster care system from ages 10-17. After his adoption at age 17, he became passionate about sharing his story to bring hope to youth in foster care and to activate and empower people to step up to serve vulnerable youth and families. He is most impassioned on trauma- informed care and having well equipped foster and adoptive parents to decrease disruptions as well as increase empathy for biological families.
Outside of sharing his story & wanting to make change in the foster care system, Darien is passionate about being a first responder and a father. When he’s not working as an Emergency Medical Technician on an ambulance, he’s home with his 3-year-old son Leo.
Darien’s hope is for his testimony to breakdown stereotypes for youth in care & those who grew up in the foster care system while also pointing to Jesus for the ultimate healing.
Jennifer Bracken and Jillana Goble
Jennifer and Jillana have been together for 17 years, first meeting in juvenile court when Jillana was fostering Jennifer’s 6-month-old son. Jennifer grew up in Oregon’s foster care system, experiencing 63 placements, and all four of her children have been involved in child welfare. Jillana and her husband, Luke, fostered and adopted Jennifer’s third child and became relative adoptive providers for her fourth. Jennifer has been successfully parenting her youngest for the past nine years and celebrates December 10, 2015, as her sobriety date—her proudest accomplishment.
Jillana and Luke have five children, three of whom joined their family through foster care. Jillana works for Every Child, a partner to Oregon’s Child Welfare system, and is the author of A Love-Stretched Life: Stories on Wrangling Hope, Embracing the Unexpected and Discovering the Meaning of Family, which has given her and Jennifer many opportunities to speak to various audiences all over the county.
Jason Johnson
Jason Johnson is joined us for his fourth We See You event! He supports families and guides leaders in foster care and adoption. Jason is the Director of Church Mobilization and Engagement at Christian Alliance for Orphans, creating resources, coaching leaders, and teaching on church ministry and leadership.
Jason and his wife, Emily, live in Texas with their daughters. He's authored four books: Reframing Foster Care, Everyone Can Do Something, ALL IN Orphan Care, and Effectively Engaging Churches. Find his resources at www.jasonjohnsonblog.com
And welcoming back…
Merry Terri!
‘We See You’ is an opportunity for the CHURCH & Community to come together in support of the FOSTER care COMMUNITY in the greater CHARLOTTE area!
We are grateful for our 2025 We See You Partner Churches and Organizations:
We are honored to celebrate all the work these individuals do every day for the vulnerable children and families in our city and to let them know that…
WE SEE YOU!
Check out video recaps of past events!
